Neighbour halts bid to snatch girl

Parents are today warned to be on the alert after a suspected paedophile tried to snatch a five-year-old girl.

He took the girl by the hand and led her towards a car on the Roundshaw Estate in Wallington, Surrey, in what detectives describe as a "distressing" incident.

A neighbour spotted the girl being taken away and shouted her name. The girl broke free and ran back towards her home while the suspect drove away. Police are studying CCTV pictures which they hope will help identify the suspect.

Det Con Phil Stead of Sutton CID praised the neighbour's quick thinking and said: "The girl was playing near her home when she was approached by a man who asked her to go shopping with him. He took her by the hand towards a car. Fortunately he was seen by a neighbour who called to the child from her window."

The suspect is described as Asian with short black hair and a beard. He is in his late thirties, slim, and was wearing dark clothing. He was driving a dark blue four-door saloon car. The incident occurred on 9 April shortly after 1pm in Avro Way.